Thursday, March 22, 2012

Robson Family Genealogy

One of the most valuable resources to a Virgin Islands researcher is the labor of love by Svend Holsoe: the Virgin Islands Families website (www.vifamilies.org). Dr. Holsoe is compiling genealogies of the families of the islands, from their first appearance until they leave. I have found great help on several of my island surnames, but one surname, Robson, was missing. The first Robson, Joseph, is my 3rd great grandfather.

The name was missing, that is, until last month. So far he’s documented the Robson information from the 1846 census of Estate Fountain. Since the Robsons are my direct ancestors, I’ve done a fair bit of research on them and I figured I’d compile my research, in his format, and contribute my work to his page. Well, compiling (and footnoting) is even harder than researching! Once I was done, I thought I’d post it here as well.

Documentation is somewhat sparse for the Robsons, and often the evidence is indirect. I have indicated where I have made assumptions and given my proof arguments in the footnotes (particularly for the last Robson generation, which is fairly speculative). This is my first attempt at compiling a genealogy, so forgive any less-than-scholarly attributions or format. Also, the style of footnotes was chosen to mirror the style used by Dr. Holsoe to ease his use on his site. Apologies to Elizabeth Shown Mills (author of Evidence Explained), I actually have much fuller citations in my database.

St Croix Descendants of Joseph Robson

1. Joseph Robson was born around 1797 in England and baptized in the Anglican Church[1]

The censuses show that Joseph’s minor children lived in town, presumably for school, and at about the age of 16 each moved out to Estate Fountain. Joseph maintained ownership of the Queen St property until his death, at which time the home passed to his heirs. Descendants of Joseph Robson continued to hold the home at least until 1924.[8]

Joseph Robson died of fever on 06 Oct 1859 and was buried at St Paul's in Frederiksted.[9]

Hester Franklin was likely born between 1794[10] and 1797[11] in St Croix.In the 1831 Register of Free Black Women, she was listed as a free Negro, living on estate Hermitage. Her free status was confirmed by John Cochran.[12]

In 1841 Hester was living at 16 Queen St, Christiansted with Joseph’s 4 children, listed as “supported by Jos Robson”.[15]

Hester returned to Estate Fountain by 1846 and lived there as a “housekeeper” until Joseph’s death, at which time she returned to live out her life at 16 Queen’s St with Joseph’s daughter Marie and her family.

Hester Franklin died of “old age” on 17 Nov 1872. She was buried at the cemetery in Christiansted. Her death records list her age as 78.[13]

Children of Joseph Robson and Hester Franklin

1. Bridget Elizabeth Robson b. c1827 d. 6 Feb 1849

2. Maria Mathilda Robson b. c.1830 d. 7 Jul 1900

3. Adelaide Robson b. c1832

4. Joseph F. Robson b c1835

1. Bridget Elizabeth Robson was born in 1835 and baptized in the Anglican Church.[14]

In 1841 she was living with her mother and siblings at 16 Queen St in Christiansted[15]

In 1846 she was living with her father and mother at Estate Fountain, Northside A Quarter.[16]

Bridget died at about the age of 22 about 6 Feb 1849 and was buried in St Paul’s Graveyard in Frederiksted, St Croix.[17]

2. Maria Mathilda Robson was born around 1830 in St Croix and baptized in the Anglican church.[18]

In 1841 she was living at 16 Queen St with her mother and siblings.[18]

In 1846[19], 1850[20], 1855[21], and1857[22] she was living with her father at Estate Fountain, Northside A Quarter.

On 9 Feb 1856 she was married to Thomas Moorhead, a recent convert to the new St Croix Swedenborgian, or New Jerusalem (or simply “New”) church.[23]

Following her marriage, Marie and Thomas took ownership of 16 Queen St.[24] and lived there with their family. In 1857[25], 1870[26], 1880[27], and 1890[28] she was listed along with Thomas and her children, without an occupation.

Marie died on 7 Jul 1900 of Edema and was buried in the Old Churchyard in Christiansted.[29]

The Moorhead family continued on St Croix, with at least one member reported in the 1930 US Census.

3. Adelaide Robson was born about 1832 in St Croix. [30]The 1841 St Croix census states that she was baptized in the Moravian church30, while the rest of her family was all listed as Episcopal (Anglican).Later documents all state that she was Anglican.[31]

In 1841 she was living at 16 Queen St with her mother and siblings.[30]

In 1846 she was still living at 16 Queens St with her younger brother, but her parents and older sisters had relocated to Estate Fountain.[31]

Adelaide moved to Fountain by 1850 where she was employed as a Seamstress.[32]

Adelaide appears to have died between 1874 and 1879 in Christiansted, although no death record has been found.[36]

Descendants of Adelaide Robson continued to live on St Croix until 1972.

4. Joseph F Robson was born in 1835 and baptized in the Anglican Church.

In 1841 he was living at 16 Queen St with his mother and siblings.[37]

In 1846 he was living at 16 Queen St with his sister Adelaide and was employed as a wheelwright.[38]

In 1850 he was living in his father’s house at 16 Queen St and working as an apprentice. His household consisted of 3 schoolchildren and another apprentice, all under the care of Henry and Maria England, who were unrelated to any of the children. Joseph’s parents and siblings were all living at Estate Fountain and the Queen St Presumably Mr. England watched over Joseph as part of his rental agreement with Joseph Senior.[39]

In 1860 he still lived at 16 Queen St. with his sister Marie’s family and was employed as a Carriage Maker.[40]

About 1879 he appears to have had a relationship with Margaret James of Christiansted. [41]

Child of Joseph F Robson and Margaret James

1. i. Julia Alexandrina Robson (b 14 Nov 1880)

While no death record has been found, both he and Margaret appear to have died by 1890[42]

1. Julia Alexandrina Robson was born 14 Nov 1880 and was baptized on 15 Jan 1881 in St John's Episcopal Anglican Church in Christiansted.[43]

In October 1890 she was living at 16 Queen St with her aunt as a pupil.[44]

In February 1901, she was living at 16 Queen St and employed as a Seamstress.[45]

Before 1911, Julia may have married Fritz Forbes, a joiner from Christiansted[46]

[41] Joseph F. Robson disappears from the record after 1860. However, in the 1880 and 1890 censuses, the household of Thomas Moorhead contains a Julia A. Robson, born about 1881 and baptized in the Anglican Church.Her appearance in consecutive censuses in the Moorhead household suggests that she was related and the only possible Robson who could have been her father was Joseph F. Robson. (A second Robson family, Moravian, was living at Estate Hermitage at that time, but there appears to be no connection to the Christiansted family.) A search of the Anglican baptismal record for 1879-1882 shows only two Julias baptized in this time, neither with a father’s name listed.Only one of the two has the correct middle initial, Julia Alexandrina Robson, and the mother was listed as living in Christiansted.

[42] The assumption of death is based on the fact that neither Joseph F. nor Margaret James appear in the 1890 or later censuses, and that Julia was living with her aunt by the age of ten. This is typical in cases where a child is orphaned, and unusual otherwise.

[46] A search of the 1911 and 1917 census records show the appearance of a Julia Forbes, born around 1881, as a wife to Fritz Forbes. The 1890 census also shows a Julia Forbes married to Fritz, but older by 20 years. It appears that Fritz Forbes had two wives, both named Julia.

2 comments:

I have a pic of fritz forbes in a family album trying to figure out how he fits in... I think he may have been my grandmas boyfriend or fiance can you help me out??? email address and I would or cell and I can send you this picThanks for your help... just starting to put a geneaology together.Thanks christy christyrenee41@gmail.com